In this editorial, the author expressed their negative viewpoint toward the Common Core. They claim that that the standards are misnamed as the “Common Core State Standards” because they are not state standards at all. They are National standards and states were coerced to adapt this national curriculum. The new Common Core tests are considerably harder than current state assessments which will lead to plateaus in scores and proficiency rates. The article mentions Charlotte Danielson who is a strong supporter of Common Core, however she worries that the assessments could become a train wreck. If they are creating a test that is extremely challenging, then she fears that some schools will have 80% or large numbers of people failing. Through test scores, her fears are becoming a reality. They believe that we must dismantle the Common Core and defend our students.
This editorial made me feel exceedingly differently about the Common Core Standards. Before this, I had only seen positive reviews of the system. This was a bit of a shock. I believe that our federal government should be trust in local schools to create a standard based on the skill level of their students. Not all students are the same and they should each be treated as individuals. As long as students are consistently learning, they should be learning at their own level and should not be held to unattainable standards.
This article discusses a classroom in PS 397 in Brooklyn, New York. It focuses on one nine year old student named Chrispin who is currently struggling with the state’s new standards of mathematics and his hoping to pass his next standardized test. He had once been a model student. However, last year, with the new confusion of a more difficult set of academic standards known as the Common Core, he failed state tests which put him at the bottom of his class. Specifically, at this school, 85% of students failed the state exams. They believe that the new standards are undermining the control of local education. The Common Core was supposed to be a way of lifting achievement in low-performing schools, however it is doing the complete opposite at this school.
This article made me feel horribly that this new set of standards negatively affected a student’s life. The Common Core was put in place for the success for all students. It makes me sad to see that 85% of students completely failed the state exam. How can we give these students the opportunity to catch up academically if we keep pressuring them with more challenging standards? It is not fair that Chrispin was doing so well before the new Common Core Standards were put in place. I believe that students should learn on their own levels instead of being compared to everyone else.
Scholarly Journal: Laurice, Joseph. “Collecting and Documenting Evidence: Methods for Helping Teachers Improve Instruction and Promote Academic Success.” 50, no. 2 (November 1, 2014): 86.
This article explains how most states have adopted the Common Core State Standards and will give assessments to all students for documentation and reporting on whether or not their students are meeting the standards set. This new system not only puts more pressure on the students to preform well, but also the teachers who are held accountable about whether they improve or not. They also explain how this new system is helpful to students. Teachers implement a variety of assessments which are Direct Observational Methods, Entrance and Exit Slips, Teacher-Made Tests, and General Outcome Curriculum-Based Measures. These assessments are usually taken at the beginning, middle, and conclusion of the year. They allow teachers to make adjustments for students. Overall, the Common Core helps educators make informed decisions about the type of content they teach, the level of the students in the classroom, and how they will teach their lessons.
This article gives me a positive perspective of the Common Core. It explains the basic structure of the new system. This actually makes me believe that it could have a positive impact on our education system. It makes it seem that the Common Core is more of a constructive tool rather than a stressful standard. Teachers can use these Common Core assessments to benefit their students and help to accommodate their learning styles and concerns. However, being a student in the system, sadly, this is not always the case. I believe that Common Core preparation can often get in the way of actual learning.
This article discusses Indiana’s problems with the Common Core. In March of 2014, Indiana became the first state to withdraw their agreement to implement the Common Core learning standards that have been developed over the past decade. When they first committed to the program, there were numerous complaints from conservatives of the state of Indiana. They believe that local members of each community are better suited to develop standards based on their students and parents’ needs. Many conservatives also argue that the Common Core is a scheme to allow the federal government to access specific data about American students.
I commend Indiana’s efforts to remove themselves from the Common Core standards. While reading, I actually started to agree with this viewpoint which is surprising because I usually do not think conservatively. I also believe that local members of the school system should help develop the standards specialized toward individual students. Schools today do not recognize individuality or creativity enough and the Common Core does not help this at all. It holds all students to a difficult standard that they all cannot achieve which is unfair.
This article is from the Common Core’s official website. Here, they describe the specific purposes of the new set of standards and what the standards actually are. They provide clear and consistent learning goals to help prepare students for college, career, and life. The Common Core shows students what they are expected to learn at each level. The basic standards are research and evidence based, clear, understandable, and consistent, aligned with college and career expectations, based on rigorous content and the application of knowledge through higher-order thinking skills, built upon the strengths and lessons of current state standards, and informed by other top-performing countries to prepare all students for success in our global economy and society. They explain how these are essential for success in college, career, and life today.
Before reading this, I had never truly understood why our government created the Common Core Standards. I was confused of what truly they were and what they wanted to accomplish. Now, I understand why they were put in place. The Common Core is always some taboo thing that everyone talked about, but never knew exactly what it entailed. This gave me a clear idea of what it is and its goals to improve the education of students. Although, I view their goals as mostly unrealistic. They are all nice to think about in theory. However, what can a new standard of schooling truly do?
Overall Reaction to Your Research
What I have learned from my research is that there are many issues with the Common Core State Standards put in place by our federal government. Although there are benefits of having a common education goal, the system’s negatives outweigh it. Students are not all the same and should not be held to the same standards. Everyone learns at their own pace and in in their own way. Students have to be treated as individuals and not just a number. Otherwise, they will not be given the opportunity to flourish. I believe that we should allow local schools and teaching staff to be the judge of each student’s individual standards. Also, challenging Common Core assessments prevent students from truly learning. When they are expected to know things far from their current level, they become frustrated and lose the confidence to continue learning about the topic. Overall, I believe that the Common Core was a good idea in theory, but should not be implemented across the nation.
How does this research help us identify or refine a strategy to improve schools in Rhode Island?
This research can help us to improve the standards that students are given in Rhode Island. Currently, the state of Rhode Island has adopted the Common Core State Standards. However, I believe that our new strategy should be to remove this system from our schools. I do not believe that it is a good idea to hold students from Central Falls and Barrington to the exact same standards. People should not be so easily compared. We should make efforts to set new local standards for each school system in Rhode Island. This will ensure that all students are given the opportunity to learn in their own way and at their own pace. A personalized standard and education will allow all students to thrive.
Author: Sara Buckley
Editorial:
The Editors of Rethinking Schools. “The Trouble with the Common Core” 27 (Summer 2013). http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/27_04/edit274.shtml.
In this editorial, the author expressed their negative viewpoint toward the Common Core. They claim that that the standards are misnamed as the “Common Core State Standards” because they are not state standards at all. They are National standards and states were coerced to adapt this national curriculum. The new Common Core tests are considerably harder than current state assessments which will lead to plateaus in scores and proficiency rates. The article mentions Charlotte Danielson who is a strong supporter of Common Core, however she worries that the assessments could become a train wreck. If they are creating a test that is extremely challenging, then she fears that some schools will have 80% or large numbers of people failing. Through test scores, her fears are becoming a reality. They believe that we must dismantle the Common Core and defend our students.
This editorial made me feel exceedingly differently about the Common Core Standards. Before this, I had only seen positive reviews of the system. This was a bit of a shock. I believe that our federal government should be trust in local schools to create a standard based on the skill level of their students. Not all students are the same and they should each be treated as individuals. As long as students are consistently learning, they should be learning at their own level and should not be held to unattainable standards.
Analysis Article:
Javier Hernández. “Common Core, in 9 Year Olds,” June 14, 2014. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/15/education/common-core-in-9-year-old-eyes.html?_r=0.
This article discusses a classroom in PS 397 in Brooklyn, New York. It focuses on one nine year old student named Chrispin who is currently struggling with the state’s new standards of mathematics and his hoping to pass his next standardized test. He had once been a model student. However, last year, with the new confusion of a more difficult set of academic standards known as the Common Core, he failed state tests which put him at the bottom of his class. Specifically, at this school, 85% of students failed the state exams. They believe that the new standards are undermining the control of local education. The Common Core was supposed to be a way of lifting achievement in low-performing schools, however it is doing the complete opposite at this school.
This article made me feel horribly that this new set of standards negatively affected a student’s life. The Common Core was put in place for the success for all students. It makes me sad to see that 85% of students completely failed the state exam. How can we give these students the opportunity to catch up academically if we keep pressuring them with more challenging standards? It is not fair that Chrispin was doing so well before the new Common Core Standards were put in place. I believe that students should learn on their own levels instead of being compared to everyone else.
Scholarly Journal:
Laurice, Joseph. “Collecting and Documenting Evidence: Methods for Helping Teachers Improve Instruction and Promote Academic Success.” 50, no. 2 (November 1, 2014): 86.
This article explains how most states have adopted the Common Core State Standards and will give assessments to all students for documentation and reporting on whether or not their students are meeting the standards set. This new system not only puts more pressure on the students to preform well, but also the teachers who are held accountable about whether they improve or not. They also explain how this new system is helpful to students. Teachers implement a variety of assessments which are Direct Observational Methods, Entrance and Exit Slips, Teacher-Made Tests, and General Outcome Curriculum-Based Measures. These assessments are usually taken at the beginning, middle, and conclusion of the year. They allow teachers to make adjustments for students. Overall, the Common Core helps educators make informed decisions about the type of content they teach, the level of the students in the classroom, and how they will teach their lessons.
This article gives me a positive perspective of the Common Core. It explains the basic structure of the new system. This actually makes me believe that it could have a positive impact on our education system. It makes it seem that the Common Core is more of a constructive tool rather than a stressful standard. Teachers can use these Common Core assessments to benefit their students and help to accommodate their learning styles and concerns. However, being a student in the system, sadly, this is not always the case. I believe that Common Core preparation can often get in the way of actual learning.
Summary Article:
Marcia Clemmitt. “Education,” June 19, 2014. http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqr_ht_education_2014&type=hitlist&num=0.
This article discusses Indiana’s problems with the Common Core. In March of 2014, Indiana became the first state to withdraw their agreement to implement the Common Core learning standards that have been developed over the past decade. When they first committed to the program, there were numerous complaints from conservatives of the state of Indiana. They believe that local members of each community are better suited to develop standards based on their students and parents’ needs. Many conservatives also argue that the Common Core is a scheme to allow the federal government to access specific data about American students.
I commend Indiana’s efforts to remove themselves from the Common Core standards. While reading, I actually started to agree with this viewpoint which is surprising because I usually do not think conservatively. I also believe that local members of the school system should help develop the standards specialized toward individual students. Schools today do not recognize individuality or creativity enough and the Common Core does not help this at all. It holds all students to a difficult standard that they all cannot achieve which is unfair.
Reputable Website:
“Common Core State Standards Initiative: Preparing America’s Students For College & Career,” n.d. http://www.corestandards.org/read-the-standards/.
This article is from the Common Core’s official website. Here, they describe the specific purposes of the new set of standards and what the standards actually are. They provide clear and consistent learning goals to help prepare students for college, career, and life. The Common Core shows students what they are expected to learn at each level. The basic standards are research and evidence based, clear, understandable, and consistent, aligned with college and career expectations, based on rigorous content and the application of knowledge through higher-order thinking skills, built upon the strengths and lessons of current state standards, and informed by other top-performing countries to prepare all students for success in our global economy and society. They explain how these are essential for success in college, career, and life today.
Before reading this, I had never truly understood why our government created the Common Core Standards. I was confused of what truly they were and what they wanted to accomplish. Now, I understand why they were put in place. The Common Core is always some taboo thing that everyone talked about, but never knew exactly what it entailed. This gave me a clear idea of what it is and its goals to improve the education of students. Although, I view their goals as mostly unrealistic. They are all nice to think about in theory. However, what can a new standard of schooling truly do?
Overall Reaction to Your Research
What I have learned from my research is that there are many issues with the Common Core State Standards put in place by our federal government. Although there are benefits of having a common education goal, the system’s negatives outweigh it. Students are not all the same and should not be held to the same standards. Everyone learns at their own pace and in in their own way. Students have to be treated as individuals and not just a number. Otherwise, they will not be given the opportunity to flourish. I believe that we should allow local schools and teaching staff to be the judge of each student’s individual standards. Also, challenging Common Core assessments prevent students from truly learning. When they are expected to know things far from their current level, they become frustrated and lose the confidence to continue learning about the topic. Overall, I believe that the Common Core was a good idea in theory, but should not be implemented across the nation.
How does this research help us identify or refine a strategy to improve schools in Rhode Island?
This research can help us to improve the standards that students are given in Rhode Island. Currently, the state of Rhode Island has adopted the Common Core State Standards. However, I believe that our new strategy should be to remove this system from our schools. I do not believe that it is a good idea to hold students from Central Falls and Barrington to the exact same standards. People should not be so easily compared. We should make efforts to set new local standards for each school system in Rhode Island. This will ensure that all students are given the opportunity to learn in their own way and at their own pace. A personalized standard and education will allow all students to thrive.